Finding Redemption
by twinkie-lasher
Summary: Jack McCoy finds more than he bargained for from his past.
1. Welcome Home

Finding Redemption

The plane touched down at JFK as Shiela Newman's thoughts wandered back to the last time she was in New York. Fifteen years ago, she found out she was pregnant with her first, and only child and the father, at that time, was married. Needless to say, she panicked, packed up and left. Thankfully, it wasn't difficult for her to forget the hurt and bitterness of her past when she looked over in the seat next to her and saw her handsome son sitting there. The love she felt for him more than made up for all the bad feelings surrounding his conception. He was a good student and a very responsible young man, which made her so proud. But, she hadn't told him exactly who his father was and wasn't really sure if it would be a good idea for him to know. Only time would tell.

The cab stopped in front of their new brownstone. They unpacked the remainder of their belongings, since everything else had already been moved ahead of time. After Sheila hugged her son goodbye she headed off for her new job with the Special Victim's Unit. The first person she ran into was a surprise for her since it was her old college roommate, Olivia Benson. They hugged when they saw one another and Olivia was excited when she informed her friend that she was hired there. They chatted as they walked toward Captain Don Cragen's office. Shiela hadn't seen him since she was a teenager. They embraced as they greeted one another, visiting for awhile before they got down to the business of getting her papers in order for her to begin work. The captain was pleased with her resume'. "Eight years, Texas Ranger. Six years, DCI, very impressive." He was glad she ended up in his unit. Having been experienced in digital criminal investigations she would be an asset to the department. She was issued a badge and handgun, like all the other detectives, and was told that her first week would be working with John Munch and Odafin Tutuola. Olivia introduced Shiela to her partner, Elliot Stabler, then to her two trainees, Munch and Fin. Captain Cragen informed her that she wouldn't be getting a partner, which was logical, since most of her work would be done via computer. He shook her hand and said, "Welcome to Special Victims."

At the same time, Arthur Branch at the district attorney's office had just received word about SVU's new employee. He had known Shiela for most of her life and also knew of the reason she had left years before. Even though he was aware of her history, he never broke her confidence by telling a soul about it. He walked down the hallway to Jack McCoy's office room number 1012. Arthur cracked open the door and asked Jack if the depositions were ready yet. He told Arthur he was almost finished with them. Branch began to close the door when he remembered that he'd better break the news to Jack as soon as possible before someone else did. "Oh, by the way," he said, "your old ghosts have come back to haunt you." "What's that supposed to mean?" Jack shot Arthur a look. "Shiela's back in town." "Come again!" His eyes got wide. He didn't know what to say. He was in shock. Arthur said, "I think it's time to bury all your hatchets, and not in anyone's scalp. It might help you get over other things, too." Branch was referring to Jack's past with Claire Kinkaid.

As Shiela was walking in the front door of her new home, she could smell something cooking. Brian, being the resourceful kid that he was, had already started making their dinner so they could celebrate their first night in the Big Apple. He had gotten used to being the child of a single mom. While they were eating, the phone rang. "Hello stranger," came the voice on the other end of the line. Shiela's heart sank when she heard him. "Oh, my God. Jack?" She responded nervously, "how did you get this number?" "I'm the D.A., I can find out anything." "Still the same Irish smart ass I remember. So, how are you?" "Fine. The reason I'm calling is that I need to come over and see you. We need to talk." "I don't know if that's a good idea. I just flew in early this morning." "It's just to talk. No ulterior motives, I promise." "Ok, ok, you win, McCoy. C'mon over." He double checked to make sure her address was correct and finished up work so he could leave his office at One Hogan Place.


	2. News

Shiela called to her son. She knew there was no getting around it now. She had to tell Brian the truth before Jack showed up. "Bri, can I talk to you for a sec?" "Sure, Mom, what's up?" "Well, the phone call I just got was from an old friend of mine." He just looked at her, confused. "Actually, it was your father." Brian's jaw could have dropped to the floor at the revelation. ""His name is Jack McCoy," she continued, "he's the executive district attorney for New York County. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him before. I know I should have. Just the same, I don't think it's a good idea that we spring this news on him just yet since he doesn't know about you. Try to be casual about it so that he doesn't catch on, okay?" "Yeah, sure." Brian complied with his mother's wishes.

The doorbell rang just as they were finishing the dishes. Shiela went to answer the door, took a deep breath, pasted on a smile and opened it. She was taken aback when she saw how much Jack had changed. He was much grayer than she remembered and looked like he'd spent the years trying to drink everyone under the table. "Hi Jack, please, come in. Coffee's ready if you want some. Still one sugar, right?" "Yes, thank you." They headed for the kitchen and he immediately saw the young man sitting at the table and stopped dead in his tracks. Brian had spotted Jack at the same time, surprised at the advanced age of the man before him. "Hello." The boy only nodded. Both father and son just stared at each other for a moment. "And who is this?" "Well, Jack, this is my son, Brian." Jack looked the lad up and down, then replied, "I think you mean MY son, don't you?" "Oh God." Shiela put her head in her hands. She should have known the resemblance was too great for him not to make the connection. But, she finally had to admit to him that Brian was indeed his son.

Brian was an identical younger version of his father. Jack made the suggestion that they go to the M.E.'s office to have a test done to verify Brian's paternity, which upset Shiela greatly. "Sweetheart, would you excuse us for a moment?" "Sure, Mom." He mumbled under his breath, "Must be something's gonna hit the fan." and headed upstairs to his room. "Is something wrong?" "Jack, what the hell do you think you're trying to pull! You can see full well that he's your son! All you had to do was ask me. I could have told you that I haven't been with anyone since I left YOU!" "Now, that is still a sore spot with me." "I'm not getting into some pissing contest with you over whose wounds are bigger. You know the only reason I left was because you were married. I haven't been with anyone since because I was afraid of being lied to again. I didn't want to repeat my mistakes. Now, I'll set it up for the test to be done, but it's up to you and Brian where it goes from here. This is bullshit. I need a drink." With that, she stormed off into the living room.

Jack was close behind. He grabbed her by the arm in an effort to calm her down. They both apologized to each other for the way they had acted. As much as Jack hated to admit it, she was right. Brian WAS the only important thing in this situation. Shiela offered him a drink and they sat down on the sofa. Brian came downstairs and asked if the "discussion" was over. They both said "yes". Jack stood up, looked at his handsome offspring and choked out the words, "I have a son." He took him into his arms. Shiela could have sworn she saw Jack shed a tear. Later that night, as he was leaving, she agreed to make arrangements with the medical examiner for the DNA test in the morning.


	3. Surprises galore

The next day, Shiela got to the precinct to start her first official day at work. The first thing she did when she got there was ask Olivia what the extension was for the M.E.'s office. She asked why she needed it. Shiela made the excuse that she needed some information. So, she called and found out that Melinda Warner, whom she knew, worked down there. She asked for a personal favor to have a DNA test done. Warner said it would be no problem. Things were painfully slow that day, so it could be taken care of ASAP. "McCoy on line two." Cragen shouted from his doorway. Everyone in the station stared as she picked up the receiver because they couldn't figure out how she knew the EADA. They didn't know the half of it, yet. "Yeah, Jack?" "Anything yet?" "Yes, it's all set. All you have to do is pick Brian up from school and get here as soon as you can." "I'll be there." "Okay. Bye." She called the school to let them know that Jack would be there shortly to get their son. Everything was all set to go.

Shiela was busy at her computer when they both arrived. She got up to greet them. The rest of the precinct noticed the likeness between the two men first, murmuring to one another and staring. She called Olivia over, who hadn't noticed what everyone else had, to meet her son. "Liv, this is my son, Brian. Bri, this is detective Olivia Benson. We knew each other in college." "Nice to meet you, Brian." He was practically speechless as he shook her hand. "So, what brings you here with the DA?" Shiela interrupted to try to deter Olivia's question. "We'll talk about that later. Right now, we have to go downstairs to take care of something." "Okay." Olivia looked puzzled until she finally noticed the similarities between the older and younger. She turned and looked at Shiela in surprise, not knowing what to say. "Yes, Liv, this IS what it looks like." Benson went with them to the M.E.'s office.

Olivia tapped on the window to get Melinda's attention. She showed them in, then put on fresh gloves and got the swabs for the test. "Ok, so who do you need this for?" she asked. "isn't it obvious?" One look at Jack and Brian and she quickly caught on. "Oh...my...God. Never mind, I see what you mean." She performed the test and told them the results would take about four hours to complete, so they all parted company for the time being. Jack took Brian back to school, then went back to his office while Shiela went back upstairs to the unit to catch up on work. Later on that day, curiosity got the best of Olivia, so she walked over to her friend's desk. "You have a son." She just shook her head. "I was going to tell you eventually, Liv, when I thought the time was right. The way things worked out, I didn't have a chance to wait. It all happened so fast I couldn't stop it. One of the reasons I came back was to finally tell Jack. Honestly, I got tired of keeping it from him. It was eating away at me inside. Say, can we talk about this later? I have to do some legwork with Munch and Fin and, quite frankly, this has all been very difficult for me. " "Sure." Benson patted her Friend on the back sympathetically and walked away. Shiela grabbed her badge, checked the clip in her gun and took off with her trainees to question a witness.


	4. Evidence

Hours later, the call came in from Warner with the results. She was going to give them to Shiela over the phone, but after discussing it, they both agreed that it would be best if all parties involved were present when they were read. Jack was in the middle of a trial when the call came in. The bailiff gave him the message. He called and said he'd be there as soon as he could get out of the courtroom. The judge allowed a continuance because Jack stated it was a "personal emergency". Shiela and Brian waited patiently outside Melinda's office for him to arrive. Once he got there, Warner let them in and put the films up to the viewing lamp, showing that the results were 99.9 positive that the two men were father and son. Jack turned white as a sheet as soon as he saw the evidence. He was hoping it was all part of some brilliant joke on Shiela's part. One look at his son and he knew better.

The shock was too much for him. He the two he'd talk to them both later, stoically took his copy of the results and left. Shiela couldn't recall a time where she had ever seen Jack so rattled. She always thought nothing could knock John James McCoy for a loop. Brian went upstairs with his mother to the precinct so she could finish up some paperwork. She barely got off the elevator when she was called into Captain Cragen's office. "What's with all the trips to the M.E.'s office today?" He explicitly wanted to know. "There aren't any active cases that require you to be down there." Now was the moment of truth. "You may as well know, Cap, this is my son, Brian James Newman-McCoy." "Run that by me again!" She handed him the test results to prove it. He couldn't believe his eyes as he read it. He looked at Brian as he took a seat on the corner of his desk. "My God, he does look like him. So, when did you plan on sharing with the rest of us that D.A. McCoy is the father of your son!" He became very upset, to say the least. "I'm so sorry, Don, but I didn't have a chance to tell anyone. Hell, Jack just found out last night. The whole thing happened so fast I haven't even had time to think let alone tell anyone." The Captain sighed as he took his place back in his desk chair. He handed her back the paper and told her to finish up and take her son home.

When Jack arrived back at his office, he quickly poured himself a scotch as Arthur Branch knocked at his door. He could tell that something was bothering him immensely. He handed the papers over to his boss and was amazed that he didn't even flinch when he read them. "You don't seem surprised." "Well, at least you know now You should be grateful." "You knew about this the whole time and never said a word!" "Yeah, I knew. I made a promise never to tell anyone." Jack sighed in frustration. "Sorry, Jack. I'm a southerner. Where I come from, a promise made is a promise kept until the day you die unless someone says otherwise. Believe me, if I could have told you I would have."


	5. New Beginnings

Weeks went by and things were getting better day by day between them. Jack was coming over and spending time with Brian as much as he could. Shiela had forgotten how much she really missed him. She had heard that, for years, that he was so buried in his work that it was as if he'd forgotten how to enjoy himself. His son was obviously curing that problem. Sometimes they'd act like two kids picking on her, playing games and such. She felt bad when she heard about his past and how he'd lost Claire Kinkaid so tragically.

She began to remember how much she'd also missed his smile, since she saw it so seldom lately except when he was with Brian. The Good memories came flooding back the more he was there. She finally learned how to smile herself all over again.

One Saturday morning, Jack picked Brian up on his BMW motorcycle, to Shiela's chagrin because she hated those infernal machines, and took him to his office to show him where he worked. Brian, being a typical teenager, thought it was "cool". They went to Central Park, ate hot sausage sandwiches from the street vendors, then went back to the house. Shiela was cleaning the kitchen when they arrived. Brian was exhausted, but excited at the same time, telling his mother about the day they had. Jack beamed as he stood beside his son. He gave his dad a hug and went off to bed.

Jack and Shiela went into the living room. She had to look at him and shake her head, not believing how happy he was. She offered him some scotch from an old bottle she kept in the back of the liquor cabinet that had never been opened. "This bottle is twenty-seven years old." "How do you know?" "Because it was already twelve years old when I bought it." She tuned and gave him a look. He did the math in his head and realized that she had bought it for him before she left him. He smiled and took the bottle from her hands. "Why don't we use it to celebrate new beginnings?" Shiela smiled back, nodding, as Jack winked at her, then opened the bottle. They sat on the couch and talked for hours catching up, not realizing the time. They had mended a lot of emotional fences, which was a healing experience for both of them. Before they knew it, the sun was coming up. Jack knew he had to go, but told her he would see her later. As they stood in the doorway, saying their goodbyes, they became quiet for a few seconds and just looked into each other's eyes. Then, as if he couldn't help himself, he slowly leaned forward and kissed her for the first time in all those years. Shiela put her hand on the back of his head and accepted the gesture. She gave him a shy grin when she pulled away, then quietly said good night. She leaned against the inside of the door after closing it, feeling like a teenager that had just gotten her first kiss after the prom. Jack still had an amazing effect in her, and she knew it.


	6. Long Day at the Office

From that night on, circumstances changed dramatically. Jack was coming over regularly, not only to see Brian, but to spend time with Shiela as well. They would sometimes go out, as a family, and do things together, dinner, movies and such. Then, after their son was in bed, they'd sit on the couch and talk or sometimes just cuddle up together listening to music. Shiela would breathe in his scent when she was near him. It was a wonderful narcotic to her senses. Even something so simple made her weak in the knees, just like it used to. One night they were sitting there, Jack was leaned up against her chest as they were talking. She ran her fingers through his hair and had her other arm draped over his chest, his hand in hers. "Jack, where is this going?" "Where is what going?" "You know. I mean this...'us'." "Let's take it day by day and see what happens." "Sounds good to me." He sat up and took her face in his hands, gently pressing his lips to hers, tasting her like a sweet wine. He leaned back and held her to his chest. It took Shiela back to the memory of when they were together years ago. She used to lay her head on his chest after they made love and listened to his heartbeat. God, how she loved and missed that sound. She felt as if it was beating only for her. Back then, she wished it was.

Shiela had a rough week at SVU. Cases piled on top of one another. As if that wasn't bad enough, Captain Cragen had given her a bunch of cold case files to work on and she had to send either duo out, Benson and Stabler or Munch and Fin, to do the footwork, keeping just about everyone in the unit hopping. There must have been over a hundred and fifty files in the stack. She looked at the pile of work before her and muttered, "I'll get Don for this." Being a DCI was no picnic, but it seemed the job at SVU was ten times harder than she expected. All she did in Dallas was bust perps in the drug cartel. Made it seem like being a Texas Ranger before she switched jobs to DCI was a turn for the worst. Between all the faxes, phone calls, interviews and such, she was wearing down fast and it showed.

Shiela walked in the door when she got home to the sounds of music and laughter coming from the kitchen. Jack saw how tired she was when she walked into the kitchen. He put his arms around her and kissed her for the first time in front of their son. All Brian could respond with was, "Geez, do you guys mind?". They just laughed at his typical teenager attitude. Jack took it upon himself to help her put her things away and told her to get her feet up in the living room and relax. He insisted she rest awhile and he and Brian would take care of everything. He brought her a plate when dinner was ready, along with his own, and sat down with her on the sofa. Their son came in a minute later with his own and they sat down and talked as they ate.

After dinner, both men returned to the kitchen, doing the dishes and cleaning up. By the time they'd finished, Shiela was sound asleep. Jack told his son to be quiet and sent him off to bed. After getting a blanket from the hall closet, he covered her up for the night. He leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss. He had to stop and look at her for a minute and couldn't help but smile at her lying there so peacefully. He whispered, "I love you" before grabbing his coat and leaving for home.


	7. Emotional Intimacy

A few days later, Brian came home from school with a torn shirt and a black eye. He was pretty beaten up. Shiela called Jack immediately. Her son refused to discuss it with her, so she was hoping his father could get the truth out of him. After he arrived, his son confessed that one of his classmates called him "the bastard McCoy", so Brian pounded the crap out of the kid for it. Evidently, someone had made the connection between the last names of father and son and decided to start trouble over it. Jack made a phone call to the school principal to explain why his son acted like an ass. ah, the price to pay for giving birth to a McCoy Sheila thought to herself as she shook her head. They got an ice pack for Brian's eye and a clean shirt. He was an awful mess.

Jack began to chuckle to himself as he patched up his son's wounds. "I hope the other guy looks worse." he joked. "Don't encourage him, Jack. Do you think this is funny? This was the last thing I wanted to happen, damn it." "Sorry. At least now you know he truly does have an Irish temper." She just glared back at him while he chuckled back at her. The smile quickly left his face. He cleared his throat and apologized. Shiela gave Brian something for the pain and sent him off to bed to get some rest, then commenced to chew Jack a new one. "I fail to see the humor in this. I'd appreciate it if you would talk to him and keep him from repeating this mistake. He doesn't need to become a brawler like his grandfather." She knew that she had said the wrong thing the minute it came out of her mouth. The look she got from Jack was like a whipped puppy with cans tied to its' tail.

He didn't know whether to be offended or just plain hurt, even though he knew that what she'd said was true. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "God, I'm sorry, sweetheart. It's just upsetting to see him like that." Jack put his arms around her and forgave her, apologizing himself in the process. He then went up and had a long discussion with his son and made him promise that it wouldn't happen again.

When their son had finally drifted off to sleep, Jack came back downstairs. They ordered dinner out, instead of cooking, and saved some for Brian for later. Shiela sat with her back against his chest, his arms around her, as they were chatting. He began to run his finger down the side of her neck, under her hair, subtly whispering innuendos in her ear, knowing very well what it would do to her. He used to love to temp her with the "what if I do this" game. He put his lips where his finger had been, making her squirm. She giggled his name as worked his magic on her. He laughed mischievously as he began to suck on her earlobe, boldly moving his hand up to her breast, playing with one, then the other. She leaned her head back on his shoulder, sighs of pleasure coming from her mouth the second he found her nipple and began rubbing the hard bud. She decided turnabout was fair play and reached down between his legs, stroking his hard shaft that she could feel through his trousers, causing him to gasp suddenly. He spread his knees apart to give her better access. "Oh God, I need you so badly." he breathed.

She turned around and kissed him with all the fire that was in her, tasting him like she couldn't get enough of him. She kept massaging his manhood as he tried to lay her down on the couch and was beginning to unbutton her blouse. She had to stop him. "No, not here." She didn't want Brian waking up and seeing something he didn't need to. She got up, took him by the hand, and crooked her finger at him, leading him to her room. They undressed each other the second the door was closed and fell into bed, picking up where they left off. She had forgotten what it was like to touch him and to be touched by him. She felt desirable again, the most she had felt like a woman in a long time. He could feel she was ready for him. Moans escaped their throats as he pulled her leg up over his hip and entered her. It had been way too long for this between them. Jack began slowly rubbing against her, their breath quickening with each movement. He finally rolled her onto her back, still keeping up the pace, stroking her each time with his body. It wasn't long before they began to climax together. He could barely get the words out "look...at...me" as they were both at their peak. He wanted to see the look on her face the passion in her eyes. He had to know that it was still there for him and was pleased when he saw what he hoped he'd find.


	8. Morning Interruptions

After their breathing had returned to normal, they just looked at each other, giggling like a couple of teenagers with a case of puppy love. Jack curled up beside her and snuggled up close, making a low growling noise in her ear. "Not a bad performance for an old man, eh detective?" He kissed her temple. "Not bad at all, counselor. You were amazing." She bit her lower lip as she looked at him and played with his chest hair. He kissed her good night, lovingly wrapping his arms around her as they drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, very early, the doorbell rang as they were sleeping. It was Lieutenant Van Buren, with two of her detectives in tow. Shiela was careful to slide out of bed so as not to wake Jack, threw on her robe and went downstairs to answer the door. "Anita, hi." "Hi, Shiela. I heard you were back." "To what do I owe this visit?" "Well, we have a problem we hoped you could help us with. Pardon my manners, these are my detectives, Joe Fontana and Ed Green." "They shook hands. "How do you do, gentlemen. So, how can I help you?" "There are papers we need to get signed by D.A. McCoy. I need to be present to witness his signature. So, I remembered that you two used to know each other. I was wondering if you had herd from him. No one seems to know where he is." Shiela almost panicked when she thought of Jack's bike parked outside, so she knew Van Buren was well aware of where he was. "Oh. Well, um, hang on a minute and I'll see what I can do." She went upstairs to wake him.

As her company stood waiting in the foyer, Jack came downstairs looking pretty thrown together with his jeans on, barefoot, his dress shirt open. He didn't look happy. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant." The three visitors just stared for a moment. Anita finally found her voice again as Shiela was heading back down the stairs. "We need you to sign these papers so we can proceed with the Santorelli case." He quickly signed them, asked if there was anything else, then excused himself from the room. "I'm going to make coffee. Good day detectives, Lieutenant." He kissed Shiela before leaving the room. On his way out, Ed Green spoke up, chuckling. "Damn, you'd think he'd be in a better mood after what obviously happened last night." Jack stopped dead in his tracks, whipped around and came back, getting right in Ed's face. "I'll thank you to keep your nose out of my personal life, detective. It's none of your concern." Shiela watched Jack walk away. The three looked at her in surprise. "What the hell are you looking at me like that for? He's old, not dead." She winked and grinned at them before showing them the door. They all just smiled at each other as they were leaving, then Fontana spoke up once they were outside. "Man, I don't know McCoy that well yet, but he's gotta be doin' somethin' right gettin' himself a piece like that." His boss glared at him. "That 'piece' as you so crudely referred to her as is a fellow detective, so I'd watch my step if I were you, Joe." Anita then turned to look at Shiela's house and muttered to herself, "I guess some things never change."

Shiela walked into the kitchen and put her arms around Jack from behind, kissing his back between his shoulders. He was NOT in a good mood after the morning's events. "It's not a big deal, Jack. It's not as if we'd planned last night and we sure as hell didn't plan on morning visitors." He turned around and put his arms around her. "I know. It just pisses me off that someone like Green can't be professional enough to keep his mouth shut." She kissed him tenderly. "You know, Brian has friends down the street. We could let him go there overnight and just hide away for awhile. Then, we could spend our time putting our energies into other...activities." She was drawing circles on his back and reached her other hand up to play with his earlobe. "I can't guarantee I have that much stamina." "Consider it an 'experiment'." She winked at him as he nodded. Being together was like a drug for the both of them. They were mesmerized with each other. He slid his hands down to her behind, caressing each cheek and nuzzling his nose into her neck. "Keep that up and I'm taking you back upstairs, Mister." He laughed and nipped her neck. They smiled with their foreheads and noses touching as he squeezed her buttocks. She looked him in the eye and stroked his face. "I love you, Jack. I always have." "I love you, too. Took me years to see it and I'm sorry." "After last night, obviously, all is forgiven." They held each other tight.


	9. Lover's Expectatations

They all had breakfast together as a family. Jack had gotten dressed early so that Brian wouldn't suspect he had stayed the night. Even though they were his parents, they didn't want him to know that they were physically involved again. They made up the excuse that his father had arrived before he got up so the kid wouldn't catch on. He had made some friends at school, so they allowed him to go stay with them overnight. Father and son went upstairs to talk while Brian packed. "Dad?" "Hmm?" "Do you love Mom?" Jack's eyes widened at the question. He chuckled at his son's boldness. "Yes I do, son, very much." He stood and placed his hand on the young lad's shoulder. "I want you to know that I never meant to hurt your mother in any way, ever. Granted, circumstances weren't what they should have been so her and I could have stayed together. But, consider what we have now as a second chance. Ok?" Brian nodded and he and his dad embraced.

Their son finished packing and took off for his friend's house down the street. He no more than got out the door when his parents looked at each other, smiled Cheshire cat grins, got up from the kitchen table and Jack chased Shiela up the stairs, catching her in the bedroom doorway. They made love slowly, numerous times throughout the day. Finally taking a break from their "activity", they laid in bed, cuddling. Jack lightly caressed Shiela's face while they rested. His lover had fallen asleep. He kept thinking of how lucky he was to have her and Brian in his life. He got his second chance and he was going to be damned if he'd throw it away. Jack was enjoying the softness of her skin when she began to stir. He was tasting the flesh on her shoulder as she fluttered her eyes open. "Mmmm, hello sleepyhead." He said between kisses. "Hello there. You wore me out." She laughed. She rolled over and put her arms around his neck, nuzzling her nose to his. "You know, we've been doing something all day you go to work to prevent." Giving her an odd look, he responded, "Such as?" "Getting someone off." She winked as she answered. "Oh, now you're going to get it." He got on top of her and began to tickle her, making her laugh and scream. When he finally let up, they looked into each other's eyes. "Shall we find out if I have any energy left?" "Oh my, counselor, is this a 'continuance'?" "You'd better believe it." She put both hands on his chest. "Then, I have a surprise for you." "Like what?" "Lay back and I'll show you."

Shiela kissed her way slowly down his body until she reached his manhood and took him in her mouth. "Oh...God." was all he could say as she licked and sucked him while caressing his sac. His mind reeled from the feelings she was stirring in him. He ran his hands through her hair as she pleasured him. Before he knew it, he started to come like he wouldn't stop. Shiela licked him clean when she was done. She got back up and looked him in the eye, licking her lips with a coy look on her face. He was covered in sweat and she was getting turned on again just seeing him that way. She could smell the sex on him like musk. Jack just looked back at her and emitted a sensual grown from his throat. He laid her down on the bed and returned the favor, snaking his way down her body, causing incredible sensations with his tongue from her neck, to her breasts and finally reached her center, already wet with desire. It didn't take him long to guide her into the first waves of pleasure, slipping over the edge of ecstasy. She loudly made it clear when she'd reached her peak, which pleased Jack immensely. He held only her legs as she shuddered, trying to keep her excited as long as possible.

The last time they made love it was wild, like two mating animals. Shiela dozed off in her lover's arms, laying on top of him while they were still physically joined.


	10. Come Monday

Monday morning came and Shiela got off the elevator at work, smiling and humming as she walked to her desk. Benson and Stabler couldn't help but notice her demeanor. Elliot walked over and was teasing her. "Now, I'm not expert, but I'd say, by the looks of things, somebody is either lucky in love, or just plain got lucky." "Right on both counts, detective." She winked at him. His jaw dropped to the as she walked away. From the Captain's office came a voice, "I heard that, Elliot. Leave her alone." Olivia also told him to lay off then walked over to talk to her friend. "Don't mind him. His bark is worse than his bit, unless you're a perp. Had an interesting weekend with a special someone I take it?" "Yes, I did...and then some." She was smirking, looking up slyly at Olivia. "Oh, you bad girl." "You don't know the half of it." "Oh, really?" Liv was curious. "Let's just say that he's not the stuffed shirt he'd like people to believe he is in court. I should know...I checked, many, many times." Benson's mouth gaped open. "Wait a minute. You mean you and McCoy?" Shiela nodded. "You're kidding!" She just wiggled her eyebrows, smiling. "That good, huh?" "Oooh, honey, it was something else." They sat there giggling like a couple of teenage girls in a locker room. "All right, kids, school's out. Time to get back to work." "Yes sir." They both responded. Munch called from the break room, "Hey Newman, how do you take your coffee?" "Just like my men, John, strong, hot and sweet enough to please." The whole department cracked up.

She finally finished off the cold cases she was working on by keeping, as she put it, "the work goin' and the coffee flowin'." All files were handed in by the end of the day, except for one she was delivering by hand on her way home. Munch approached her with information concerning a child molestation case. It was a sad situation. Twin girls, eight years old, whose uncle was their babysitter, and was also the perp. As she read further on in the file she became aware of exactly what had happened. She came to realize that she knew the whole family involved. It literally sickened her because she ran to the restroom and lost her lunch. Olivia went to check on her. "I'm fine, Liv. John just handed me a file of a case. It really got to me because I know them and it never even crossed my mind something like that could happen in that family." She left the restroom and Cragen was standing outside the door to see if she was okay. When he was sure she was going to get through it, things were back to normal. She later learned to be strong in cases whether or not she knew those involved. It would take time to strengthen her "sea legs", as the Captain put it.

Before she went home, she had to take the remaining file to the 2-7 to give to Anita Van Buren. Green saw her when she entered the precinct and apologized for his behavior the previous weekend. She accepted his apology and went to knock on the Lieutenant's door. "Come in." "Hi, Anita. Got a file for you on the Gibson case. Found some things that helped get it pretty much solved. The remaining work is all yours. I included a step by step outline so you know I went strictly by the book." "Hey, I trust you. Thanks. I'm sorry for the incidents the other morning..." "Say no more, girlfriend, Green already apologized. It's no biggie. Although, he's lucky I was able to curb Jack's temper on the matter." "Speaking of which, how are things with you two?" "Fantastic. We've all been out, done family things. Been having a blast." Anita looked at her, confused. "Family things?" "Oh, I forgot that you didn't know. Jack and I have a fourteen year old son." "So THAT'S why left years ago." "Yep. Not my wisest decision, but, what's done is done." "Got a picture?" "Yeah." She pulled her wallet from her pocket and pulled out Brian's school photo from Dallas. "My God, what a resemblance. You don't know how lucky you are." "Oh, but you can bet I do." Van Buren handed back the picture. "So, just between us girls, how is it?" "What, the lovemaking?" She nodded. Shiela just responded with a huge grin. "That's all I needed to know. It's always the quiet ones." They laughed and parted company.


	11. Making Changes

The week was tiresome. She did her job well, of course, but even sitting in front of a computer doing research can wear you down. She tried to take breaks frequently to avoid overdoing it. She was glad when Friday came. She got in the door and put her things away. Brian had taken the liberty and ordered dinner with money his dad had given him. They sat and ate and talked about the day. Jack was working late, so they knew they might not see him. She helped her son with his homework, then he went off to bed. Shiela hadn't been sitting very long when Jack let himself in with a key she had made for him. She had her head laid back, eyes closed listening to the soft jazz station, so she didn't hear him come in. He tiptoed in and placed a large bouquet of roses in her lap. She was startled at first until she saw the flowers. "Oh, Jack, they're beautiful!" "Glad you like them." He sat down beside her and whispered in her ear, "you can thank me for them later." "Why, John James McCoy, is this flirting I see?" She playfully slapped his arm, then kissed him before she took the flowers to the kitchen to put them in water. He followed her and they talked as she looked for a vase, which he helped her get off an upper shelf.

They both went back into the living room and he said, "Pour me a drink. I'm going up to see Brian." "Okay, darlin'." She poured a white wine for herself and a scotch, as usual, for him. Minutes later, he came back downstairs. "He said for us to behave ourselves down here." "Good thing he doesn't know what you're like with women." "Is that a fact?" He grabbed her around the waist as she pretended to try and get away. He loved the look she gave him when he held her close. The passion just flowed from her eyes. She petted his face before she leaned up to kiss him, slipping her tongue into his mouth. The fire between them was explosive. They devoured each other like they were sexually starving. His kisses moved down to the base of her neck working his way to her breasts. "God,..Jack,..oh!" She was unable to form a complete sentence because of the things he was doing. She thought she was going to climax right there with the way he was nibbling at her.

They got down on the floor and frantically undressed each other. It didn't take long for them to shed everything they had on. Jack caressed her breasts and leaned down, taking a nipple into his mouth. Shiela writhed in his arms and threw her head back. It was hard for her to keep her voice down from the sensations she was experiencing. He was pleased with the results of his actions. He laid her down on the floor and reached down to explore her warm folds. Her movements became more prominent when he found her swollen nub. She bucked beside him with desire, barely able to keep any control. He rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. She straddled his body and he entered her swiftly. She ground her hips and rode him, trying not to rush, but to make the moment last. Jack sat up and wrapped his arms around her upper body so he could have access to her breasts. The minute he tasted her nipple was all it took to drive her to an orgasm. He wasn't far behind. He exploded inside her. They shuddered as the waves of pleasure swept over them.

Afterward, they laid on the floor on their sides, Shiela with her back to Jack, covered in a blanket they had pulled off the couch. He was caressing her arm with his fingers. "I hate to say this, but I've got depositions to finish. I've gotta get home." "You know, Jack, this could be your home, if that's something you want to consider. Nothing says we can't live together." "I don't know." "Just promise me you'll think about it." "Fair enough." She enjoyed the view as she watched him dress. Once she was dressed herself he helped her off the floor. "Just give me time to think it over." "I won't push." He picked up his jacket to leave and couldn't bring himself to open the front door. He put it in the closet after locking up, shut off the lights, and following her up the stairs.


	12. Honest Mistakes

The next morning, they had accidentally slept in after making love half the night. Brian knocked on his mother's bedroom door...no answer. He cracked it open only to find his parents, only covered from the waist down, fast asleep. He freaked out and ran back to his room. The noise woke them both. Jack shot up out of bed, grabbed his pants, while Shiela got her robe, and they both went to their son's room. Once they got him calmed down they were able to talk to him. "Son, I'm sorry you caught your mother and I in an awkward situation. But, we're adults. You're old enough to know how you got here to begin with." "Gee, thanks, Dad. That paints a vivid mental picture." "Son," Shiela spoke up, "What did you expect? It's like your father said. We're adults. Just because we're your parents doesn't mean we don't have needs." "Don't say any more, Mom. Just give me time to get past it, ok?" "Fine. We'll go down and make breakfast."

In the kitchen, Jack and Shiela felt very self-conscious about what had happened, her more than him. "Dear God, I hope we haven't traumatized him, Jack." "It would have been worse if we had actually been doing anything. Although, kids have caught their parents having sex and haven't been badly scarred." "Very funny. I needed to hear that." He stood up and put his arms around her. "sometime, when he's not here, we'll have to experiment with new places to..." His voice trailed off. "Jesus, Jack. For a D.A., you can be a real shmuck sometimes, you know that? I now which head your thinking with now and it's the only one blood circulates to." He just chuckled at her comment and held her close.

Jack left right after breakfast. He had told Shiela a little white lie the night before. He HAD been thinking about them being together, but not just living together. He had already planned on asking her to marry him. He was just waiting for the right time. He headed for Tiffany's to pick out a ring. Lucky for him he remembered her ring size. He found a beautiful, un fancy two karat diamond and had it gift wrapped. He got back to the house and had them both sit down. "You both know that I love you very much." The both nodded. "Well, part of this arrangement has left me feeling incomplete, so..." He took out the box and handed it to Shiela, her mouth dropping open in the exchange. "I'm asking you, both, to be my family." Brian tackled his father right off the footstool he was sitting on, knocking them both to the floor, laughing hysterically. Once her two men got up off the floor, she opened the box and thought she was going to have a heart attack. "Jack," she lifted her eyes to his. "Are you saying...?" He took the ring from the box and placed it on her finger. "That's exactly what I'm saying." Taking her hand he got down on bended knee and said, "Marry me." She practically flew into his arms, kissing him with tears streaming down her face. When he pulled away he asked, "I take that as a 'yes'?" "No, take THIS as a 'yes'." And she kissed him passionately, only to cause their son to react by saying, "Gross! That's it. I'm going to my room. There's no mush up there." The happy couple burst out laughing.


	13. Wedding Bells

Shiela sat at her desk at work doing her research when Olivia walked over to talk to her. She had just opened her mouth to speak when the light hit the ring just right and flashed in Benson's face and her mouth dropped open. "ahem, new jewelry?" Stabler looked over his partner's shoulder and added, "Yep. Don't look like a friendship ring, either." Shiela just glared at Stabler. "El, do you work hard at being a smart ass, or does it come to you naturally?" Yes, if you must know, it's an engagement ring. We want to have the ceremony as soon as possible. Now, Liv, Arthur Branch is standing up with Jack. So, I know it's last minute, but I was wondering if you'd be my maid of honor." Olivia beamed. "I'd be happy to!" The two friends embraced. The commotion got Munch and Fin's attention. Soon, everyone was chattering when the captain walked over. "What's the ruckus? Someone get elected or something?" Shiela flashed her ring. "Nope, Cap. I'm getting married." She said with a huge smile on her face. "You got McCoy to tie the knot! That's great!" He picked her up off the floor for a hug. The whole office was alive with celebration.

They had the nuptials at Judge Patrovsky's office. They exchanged a set of bands they'd bought first thing that morning. The rings were gold with tiny diamond accents. When it was over, they all headed over to Branch's office to crack open a bottle of champagne. Arthur raised his glass to toast the newlyweds. "To new life and to love that lasts a lifetime." He turned to the groom. "Jack, I've worked with you these few years and been consistently impressed with your work. However, I've never seen your personal life be as much of a success. I hope, from now on, they run neck and neck." He then turned to the bride. "Shiela, he may be a stubborn, Irish D.A., but, even though you got him lasso'ed, try to keep him in line, too." "You bet, Arthur." Jack just looked at his new wife, wide-eyed. "Oh really?" "Well," she added, "it depends on the particular ahem situation." The party clinked their glasses, laughing and shouting "Hear, hear!" Then Jack spoke. "Thank you all for being here for us. We appreciate the support and we'll do everything possible to make it work. After all," he took his new bride in his arms, "I finally got more than I bargained for." And they stood amongst their friends in each other's loving arms. They shared a tender kiss while everyone whistled and cheered.

And, hopefully, they lived happy ever after.

THE END


End file.
